This invention relates to the novel ortho-dioxybenzaldehyde dimethyl mercaptals defined according to the structure: ##STR2## wherein R represents hydrogen or methyl and the use thereof in augmenting or enhancing the aroma or taste of foodstuffs.
Artificial flavoring agents for foodstuffs have received increasing attention in recent years. In many areas, such food flavoring agents are preferred over natural flavoring agents at least in part because of the uniform flavor that may be so obtained. For example, natural food flavoring agents, such as extracts, essences, concentrates and the like are often subject to wide variation due to changes in the quality, type and treatment of the raw materials. Such variation can be reflected in the end product and results in unreliable flavor characteristics and uncertainty as to consumer acceptance and cost. Additionally, the presence of the natural product in the ultimate food may be undesirable because of increased tendency to spoil. This is particularly troublesome in convenience and snack food usage where such products as dips, soups, chips, prepared dinners, canned foods, sauces, gravies and the like are apt to be stored by the consumer for some time prior to use.
The fundamental problem in preparing artificial flavoring agents is that of achieving as nearly as possible a true flavor reproduction. This generally proves to be a difficult task since the mechanism for flavoring development in many foods is not understood. This is notable in products having mushroom, hydrolyzed vegetable protein-like and cabbage-like aroma nuances and mushroom, hydrolyzed vegetable protein-like, meat extract and sweet cabbage taste nuances.
Reproduction of mushroom, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, cabbage and vanilla aromas and mushroom, hydrolyzed vegetable protein-like, meat extract, cabbage and sweet vanilla taste nuances has been the subject of long and continuous searches by those engaged in the production of foodstuffs. The severe shortage of foods, especially protein foods, in many parts of the world has given rise to the need for utilizing non-meat sources of proteins and making such proteins as palatable and as meat-like as possible. Hence, materials which will closely simulate or exactly reproduce the flavor and aroma of such materials as meat flavored foodstuffs and hydrolyzed vegetable protein flavored foodstuffs as well as mushroom flavored foodstuffs are required.
Moreover, there are a great many meat containing or meat based foods presently distributed in a preserved form. Examples of such substances are condensed soups, dry soup mixes, dry meat, freeze dried or lyophilized meats, packaged gravies and the like. While these products contain meat or meat extracts, the aroma, taste and other organoleptic factors are very often impaired by the processing operation and it is desirable to supplement or enhance the flavors of these preserved foods with versatile materials which have mushroom, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, meat extract and sweet cabbage aroma and taste nuances.
Furthermore, there is a need for pet foods (e.g., dog foods and cat foods) which have hydrolyzed vegetable protein-like and meat extract-like aromas and tastes. There are a great many pet foods presently distributed in a preserved form. Examples of such are dry meat, freeze dried or lyophilized meats, packaged gravies and the like. While these products contain meat or meat extracts, they also contain additional proteinaceous materials and the fragrance, taste and other organoleptic factors are very often impaired by the processing operation and by the presence of selected proteinaceous materials. It is thus desirable to supplement or enhance the flavors of these pet foods which are preserved with versatile materials which have mushroom, hydrolyzed vegetable protein-like, meat extract and sweet cabbage-like aroma and taste nuances.
2-(2,6-dimethyl-1,5-heptadienyl)-1,3-dithiolanes defined according to the generic structure: ##STR3## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the same or different and each represents methyl or hydrogen with the proviso that at least one of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is methyl and uses thereof in augmenting or enhancing the aroma of meat flavored foodstuffs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,408 issued on Aug. 7, 1984.
Nothing in the prior art, however, discloses or implies the ortho-dioxybenzaldehyde dimethyl mercaptals of our invention or the use of such ortho-dioxybenzaldehyde dimethyl mercaptals for their organoleptic properties in augmenting or enhancing the aroma or taste of foodstuffs.